Chain-grate stoker



April 21, 1925. 1,534,186

G. MOURLAM ET AL n CHAIN GRATE STOKER Filed July 50, 1920 2 Shoots-Sheet 2 j INVENTORS I w I V/-.UL

@i TTORNEYS U Patented Apr. 21, 1925.

UNITEDv 1 ,STATES GEORGES MOURLAI AND MARCEL GUTTER, F PARIS, FRACE,\ASSIGNORS '10 THE BABCOCK & 4W'IIZCOX 00mm, 0I NEW YORK, N. Y.

To all whom it may concern: y

Be it known thaty we, GEORGES Mountain rand Manent SUi'iER, both citizens of the French Republic," and residing at Paris, 5 France, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement'in Chain-Grate Stokers of which the following is a specication.

Our invention relates to chain grate stok- 'ers of the usual type, in which a plurality of 4,1o -links are connected in longitudinal alinement by means of connecting rods or pins to form an endless chain belt or grate, which f passes over lsuitable sprockets, or other j curved members, so that the belt has a horizontal upper and a horizontal lower run. In suchjgrates, it is usual to arrange the links so that each link is connected with 'a pair of rods, but so that the successive links in any given row longitudinally ofJ the chain are not connected to the same rods. v Heretofore it has been necessary, .when it is desired to remove and replace a link from a chain grate, eitherto -entirely disassemble 1 the chain, as by removing nuts or other fasteningdevices on theren'ds of the chain rods,

or by moving .some or all ofthe links sidewise to disengage them from the locking engagement which holds them in `placeonthe chain. j

One ofthe objects of our invention is to provide a link which can belremoved and returned to place inthe chain without dis' turbing the position of any other link in the chain, and yet a link which will be held in place without any locking device which would be liable to destruction when subject-- ed to the heat of the fuel bed.. j

\ Our iiivention will best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, m

40 which Figure 1 is a side'viewjof alnk membervconstl'ucted to carryout our invention; Fig. 2 isa section throlilili A Y side elevationA of the membershownin l Fig. 1 as vviewed from.th. 1. 'oppos1teI side; 4.5 Fig. 4 is a dia kairmiiatic representation of 4the two members j members being shown in their respective poj sitions which they would y; when they are ready to be mountedont excoimectiugA `ciauun-erinnern. s'ioxnn.

Fig. 1;JFig. 3is a which v'form' fa link, these` Application mea July so, i920. serial no. vseais?.

was; Fig. 5, is a View similar'` to Fig` 4 but with the link in place;and Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of the chaiiii grate. A Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

In the illustrative form of our invention, we form each link of a pair of cooperating members adapted to be mounted on the same chainfrods andyto be moved into position in opposite angular directions with respect to the c ain surface, so that interlocking pieces on they adjacent sides of the two members^ will cooperate to interlock as the two members are brought into their-operating positions in the grate. In Figs., 1, 2 and 3 we have illustrated a form of link member which, so far as ythe grate surface is ,con-

cerned, may be of the usual t pe.. The link member, which is /iepresente generally by A, has an upper surface B, which constitutes the principal part of the` fuel-supporting surface, the sides of the-upper-part of the member being provided, in the illustrative form, with recesses C in the usiial manner.

At opposite ends of thel lower portion of the link member A are openings S for the chain rods a, these openings being in the form of slots with. semi-circular ends, the latter bein adapted to rest on the rods -a when the is in position. Ribs D surlower portion of the grate surface at the round the openings S and extend to the upper side of the link member. In the illusi 4trativel form, the 'link member is provided with an extension Ein the form of ati-ib to contact with an adjacent rib to seal the space between adjacent links when air under pres- -sure is supplied between the runs of` the grate. This latter rib is no part ofour present invention and may be'omitted if desired.

Itv will be noted that the 'slots or openings at an angle/to the top surface of the and that the ends F, G ofthe linksfare curved in a 'peculiar manner, the' purpose of which will be indicated hereinafter.

A completelinkfin the illustratvefor'm,

lS have their axes substantially parallel and comprises, 'a' member j A, such ,shown .in .1.

` ber like the member A, which may be identica'l with that link member butturned-endfor-end. In Fig. 4 two such members, iin,

dicated in 4full and dot-and-dash lines, re` .spectively, and marked A and A', respectively, are shown placed side by side and about to be lowered into engagement with the rods a, It will be clear' that in order 1 to bring the respective slots into engagement with the rods, each member must be moved. in a direction -parallel to theaxes of the respective slots and S. This means thatA the member A must be moved downward and to the left of Fig. 4, and the member.

A must be moved downward and to the right of Fig. 4. This would bring the two parts into the relative positimis shown in Fig. 5. It is obvious, however, that whenv such a linkl was moving over the lower or return run of the chain, the members would move by gravity f-in the opposite direction to that just described, and fall away jfrom the rods a, a, vSuch a motion Wouldbe prevented,howbver,soglong `asthelink is running horizontally, by -the similar links which are located-in the chain atfeither` endl of the link members A, A"; that is to say, isince, with the angular slots the `link must movelongitudinally ofthe chain at the same time that it is moving olf the rrods a, a,

such motion isprevented by theremaining links of the chain which are located at the e opposite ends of the members A, A,and

When the described is traveling which wduld. resist this longitudinal motary link membersl A, A can be removed tion.

around the curved sprockets at the ends of the horizontal runs of the chain, However,

the space between the ends of5 adjacent links llongitudinally of the chain is greatly increased, and as a Jinksuch as has been. de-

away from the rods a, -@unless there was scribed was traveling .over the llower portion of the sprocket, one or the other of the members A, A would bepulled by gravity some means to prevent it. Thi's'means We provide, in the illustrative form, @y interlocking portions ,or projections on the sides of the complementary members of the link. On one side of the vertical center line of the link member A there are `two lugst, t spaced apart and on the opposite-side of the center line, and positionedhorizontallyopposite the space between the pair :of lugs t, t isa single lug T. These lugs project rom the side'ogf thelbody portion ofthe ink, as shown in Fig. 2, ,and when the two complementary qnembers are placed. side by' side so Yas to bring these lugsy in the ,positionv the use lci any .devices which are 'deterioration through ,the heat of. the fuel shown A .in- Fig. 4, they will all occupy the"` v disturbing any tween the lugs t, t and the width ofthe single'lug '1 is such that, as the linksare mo ed from the position shown in Fig. 4 tofthat shown in Fig. 5, the lug T on the link member A will pass into the space between the lugs .1, t" on the member A, and similarly the lug T will lugs t, t on the member A. Y

The presence of these lugs compels the link members A, A to be moved simultaneously andl in opposite directions when passing from the positionshown 4in Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 5, or vice versa, which would not be the'case` if these lugs were omitted In other words, in order to withdraw the member A `from the rods a, .,a, themember A must also be' withdrawn from the rods at' the same time. But the 'link members A, A are moved in o posite directions longitudinally of the chain Vwhen they. are being removed from the rods a, a. Consequently as the link member ,A is passing around .the sprocketI at va time when it is not held against motion by contact of its ends with the ends/of the adjacent links, it cannot fall or move downward by gravity unless thelink member A.

pass between the is Y,being correspondingly and simultaneous# lfrom the chain when the links to be removed are turningaround the sprockets at the ends' of the horizontal runs. A t such time, the link members A, A may be drawn outward Fin their -own vertical planes without disturbing any other links in the chain, the link',

kmembers being moved, however, in opposite angular directions. G of the link members A, A are curved, as shown in the drawing, so as to give the necessryreedom of motion at the time the` link `is on the" curved u part of the run, the shape of the lend of each link member being ysuch that Lit can be moved in the direction neoes'sitatedfby the angular slots S, S.

The ends F, G and F or S', S without interfering with the end of the next adj acentlink member. Any pair of link members A, A" forming a link, therefore, cany be removed from the chain when such link is on the curved'part of the run, and a new link substituted therefor, without indeed, while the grate -is in motionQandyet the' links ar'eheld securely in place without liable to right'of the lugs #,t, andthe lug .being bed ,atthe 4left ofthe lugs t t. -Tliespace f coupling or driving other llinks in the chain, and,

links b in position on the transverse grate rods a.

- It will be apparent that in accordance with our invention, the grate links are placed in position in the chain and removed` therefrom in the planes of the link members while the remaining links of the chain remain in their respective operative positions.

We claim: f ff 1. A link for an endless chain grate in which a plurality of links are connected by means of transverse connecting rods, comprising tworomplementary members each' of which is provided with substantially parallel slots angularly arranged with respect to the top of the link and oppositely inclined with respect to the slots of the complementary member, and interlocking means between the two members operableon the movement of the two members into position on the said rods.

2. A'compound link for a chain grate in which a plurality of links are connected b y means of connecting rods, comprising a pair of memberss each having slots adapted to engage the rods of the chain and interlocking portions between the saidmembers adapted to prevent the withdrawal of the link from the chain by gravity andto per- "f mit the withdrawal of the link by a movement of the members thereof in the vertical plane of the link and while the remaining links of the chain are in their vrespective operative positions.

3. In an endless chain grate in which a plurality o'linksare connected by means of connecting rods, a link comprising two 'side-by-side link members provided with open-end inclined slots adapted toengage the same chain rodsl and providedy with interlocking means adapted to be moved into and out of engagement when the two members are moved intheir vertical planes and in opposite angular directions.

4. A compound link having* two link members side by side, eachmember havmg f 5. A compound link 'having two link members side-b -side, each having open-end slots with a slo in the one member making an angle with the slots of the other member which engages the same chain rod, said members being provided with inter'engaging means to prevent the removal of either member from the chain rodsv without movement of' thel other member to permit removal thereof in their vertical planes when moved in reverse directions respectively.

6. A compound link member for a chain grate comprising two side by side link members provided with open end slots adapted to engage the same chain rods and angularly ,arranged with respect to the Ytop of therespective link members and inclined withl respect to each other, said members being provided on their facing sides with projecting lugs adapted to interengage when in position on the chain rods.

7. A compound link for a which a plurality bf links are connected by means of connecting rods, comprising .a pair of link members each having open-end slots making an angle with the top rof. the respective link members and" adapted to engage a pair of chain rods with the slots ,of one member extending at an angle to the slots in the other member, and interlocking portions between the said members constructe and arranged to prevent the movement of one of the pair of members in its vertical plane unless the other member is also moved in its vertical plane, and to permit simulchain grate in taneous vertical movement of said link members inftheir own planes.

8. A compound link for a chain grate in which a plurality of links are connected by means of connecting rods, comprising two independent side-by-side sections each provided olr its lower side -with open-end slots oppositely inclined from kthose of the companion section -and adapted to engage spaced chain rods, said sections being provided with members brought into interengagement by movement of the sections Ainto position in the chain in the vertical planes of the sections for locking said sections in position.

9. A compound link for a chain grate in' which a plurality of links are connected in longitudinal `alinement by means of connecteach having slots oppositely inclined to those Aof the other member and adapted to engage the rods of the chain, said members being" provided. with laterally extending 'interlocking lugs to prevent withdrawal of the link from the chain by gravity and to permit withdrawal of the link by movement of the members thereof in opposite angular directions with respect to the Vchain face and inthe vertical planes of the members and while the remaininglinks ofthe chain yare in their respective operating positions.

10. A compound link for a chain grate in which a plurality of links are connected by means of connecting rods comprising* two independent side by side members each formed onv its lower side with open end slots inclined with reference to the top ont the ing rods" and comprising a pair of members .110

respective link members, the slots ofy one While the remaining links of the chain are 1 0 member being inclined oppositely .from in`their respective `operative positions. those of the other, and the slots of the two In testimony whereof we have signed our members engaging the 'same grate rods, and names to -this specification in the presence 5 means for interlocking the two members, of a subscribing witness. and adapted to prevent withdrawal of the j GEORGES MOURLAM.

'flink members bygravity at any point in the MARCEL SUTTER.

' travel of the chain and to permit the With- Witness: f

drawal of the link members from the chain v CLEMENT S. EDWARDS. 

